


Plan of Comprehension

by flinchflower



Series: Slash Me Twice [54]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Discipline, M/M, Paddling, Wincest - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-12-19
Updated: 2011-12-19
Packaged: 2017-10-27 12:58:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,432
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/296108
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flinchflower/pseuds/flinchflower
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Prompt 54: Tower. Continues desert arc.  John discusses the plan with Sam.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Plan of Comprehension

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: Not for profit, simply a writing exercise. Herein lies Dean/Sam slash, in an AU timeline where John did not lose his life. John appears in parental context only. Follows in series from previous prompts, but stands alone if preferred.

“Samuel.”

Sam jumps and turns to face his father, caught in the act of defying Dean’s order to lie down. He feels his face heat up, and he’s torn between ashamed worry and embarrassed annoyance. It isn’t worth wishing that another lecture isn’t in the wind, but he knows better than that, really. Scuffing his toes in the dust, he refuses to look up at the older man.

“Sit down, son. I want to have a word with you.” John’s voice is quiet, but has that note of command in it. Sam wanders around for about thirty seconds, testing John’s tolerance out, and finally takes a seat on the boulder he’s coming to hate. At least if he’s on it, his dad won’t be.

“Are you listening?”

“Yessir,” he mumbles.

“Good. I want you to know how serious I am about that objective of yours, son. I need to know you can handle it.”

“What? Study and research and practice. Not an issue, Dad.” John watches his son start to relax.

“I trust you for that. Thing is, Sam, Missouri and Jim, they were on you about eating and sleeping, taking care of yourself more than I like to see. I expect that to not be up for discussion, that you’re going to do a better job at it.”

“I… ok…” Sam’s a little bewildered, not sure where this is going.

John goes for a little more direct. “Your brother is going to make sure you do it this time, Sammy, and if you’re not listening to him and the consequences he sets for you, you’re gonna answer to me. Do you hear me? Look at me, son.”

John’s seated on another convenient boulder, relaxed against the rock. He’s leaning slightly forward, the way he always does in an intense conversation, and he’s holding the paddle in his right hand, clasping the thick oak blade with his left. Sam looks up, and John can see him swallow.

“I… Yessir.” That one wasn’t mumbled, either. Sam’s not sure what John’s getting at, here, and the confusion is plain on his face, along with the apprehension brought about by John’s grip on the paddle. He’ll wait for a question before he pushes the point he’s trying to make.

“What is it, son.”

“I… um, request for clarification, sir.” Sam falls back on the obedience of childhood, the manners John trained into them from an early age.

John gives him a gentle smile, makes sure his tone is just as easy. “I mean that if you don’t mind Dean about those things, you’ll pay his consequences. I know about some of the… finer aspects of your relationship, and if you need to wind up collared and over his knee, it’s gonna happen whether I’m in the room or not. And if you don’t mind your brother, you’ll find yourself answering to me.” He smacks the paddle into his hand for emphasis.

“Dammit, Dad!” He’s embarrassed, and the exclamation bursts from him before he can help himself.

“Samuel, language.” John holds up a finger. First warning. He watches his son war with his feelings, hiding his sympathy. If it wasn’t easy for Dean, it’ll be worse for the younger boy, but he needs Sam to work through it, leave any doubts he has behind him here and now. He’s not sure whether to hope that Sam continues the hissy fit or not, because the boy needs to accept this point, and he knows his son well enough to understand that a couple of swats will drive it home faster, but he’s not going to give them without good reason.

“For God’s sake, Dad, that’s private!”

“Language.” He holds up a second finger, and shifts the paddle in his hand. Sam knows that if there’s a third, John will make the point on the seat of his pants. “It’s not entirely private, son, and I know that aspect of your relationship came out of the fact that you needed some discipline imposed in your life while I was gone. The fact that it seems to work makes me willing to put the reins in Dean’s hands, because there’s no room for errors on this, son.”

“I just, geeze, Dad…” The tone is whiny and embarrassed, and John holds his ground. He waits. Sam’s a talker, it’ll come sooner or later. Better that he doesn’t force anything here, aside from the traditional rules. He can see the emotions running high, see Sam fighting for control. The boy’s eyes drop to the ground before he speaks. “I, Dad, what if I want…”

“What you need, Sam.” He’s still calm, but wondering what’s coming.

“What if I want YOU to handle it, not Dean?” Sam’s head comes up, giving him a half defiant, half pleading look that’s all his little boy, college and adulthood forgotten.

Aw, Christ. It makes his heart ache, the solemnly frightened eyes peering up at him from under the shaggy bangs. Kid needs a haircut again. He waits a moment before he answers. “Because I think your brother gets what you need better than I do,” he replies, the truth cutting the hole in his heart a little deeper. “I tend to be hard on you, Sam, and you don’t need hard, you just need to focus and stay in line, all right?”

Sam looks a little stunned. “I, yessir.”

“Good. That doesn’t mean you aren’t answerable to me, mind you. You break the rules, you do the time, understand me?”

“Yessir.”

“I’m glad. You have problems, you come to me, but don’t think I’m gonna be taking sides. It’s my job to side with the objectives here, you remember that.” He watches his son nod. “Now then. I believe your brother told you to lie down.”

“Oh for fucks sake.” It’s just a mutter, but John’s keen hearing catches it nonetheless, and he collars his youngest boy, paddle in hand. Sam tries to twist away, fear in his voice.

“I’m sorry- I’m sorry!” He’s twenty-four, and still nothing scares him more than the way John can tower over someone who’s on the wrong side of right.

“I know,” John says simply, and drops the paddle on the rock, turns the boy around and lands a set of swats on his behind. He’s mindful of what Dean told him about the boy being pretty sore and bruised, and he knows the truth of it, hearing Sam yelp at the relatively light spanking. He releases his son after a quick minute.

“You understand?”

“Yessir.” Sam’s choked but honest, the reply heartfelt. John pulls the kid to him, rubbing his back, ignoring the teary eyes. If Sam needs to let them fall, he’s not going to say anything, just stand there and be the pillar of strength the boy must need. He doesn’t want to think about how terrified Sam must be of his abilities, he knows how much it scares him, and it’s far more personal for the boy. The threats and spankings, he doesn’t enjoy that, it half kills him most of the time he’s got to discipline the boys, but it’s the best and only way sometimes to keep them in line – and keep them safe.

Dean steps into camp, and his eyebrow shoots up, a frown creases his face, seeing Sam standing there with his father. John recognizes the worry underneath it, and nods to the boy. There’s a lot said in the simple motion. _Sam’s ok, Dean-o. I swatted him, but just hard enough to make the point, and he needs me right now. At least I hope he does._ Dean relaxes, ducks into the tent.

“It’s ok, Sammy,” he says to his youngest.

He’s about to let Sam go, when he hears the whisper. “I’m scared, Dad.”

His arms tighten around the boy. “I know son. I’ve got you. We’re gonna make sure everything’s ok, you and me, and your brother, ok? You can bet on that.” Another few minutes pass, and he feels the tension drain out of his son, feels the tiredness seep into Sam. The bedrolls are laid out by the banked fire, they’re all in the habit of sleeping through the worst heat of the day, and training after the sun sets. He walks Sam over to the blankets, settles him down, and smiles at the sleepy exhaustion.

“Just go to sleep, baby. We’ve got work to do later.” John sits down to keep watch, and Sam drops off as Dean comes to sit next to his father, lean on the older man’s strength. They’ll make it through.

**Author's Note:**

> Music: Enigma - Silence Must Be Heard


End file.
